Speech Pathology
What is Speech Pathology?
Speech Pathologists are health and educational professionals who are committed to improving the communication skills of their clients.
What Will I Do?
Speech Pathologists assess and treat impaired speech, voice, language and fluency (stuttering). Speech Pathologists assist and improve the quality of life for those who have had their communication abilities impaired by stroke, head injury, neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, multiples sclerosis etc., laryngeal cancer, hearing loss, developmental disorders, intellectual disability, cleft palate, , and emotional disturbances. Additionally, they are trained to provide treatment for those who have feeding or swallowing problems.
Speech Pathologists work with a wide variety of clients. They may work with children who do not inherently acquire normal communication skills due to a developmental impairment, or with adults who have suffered a head injury or stroke, resulting in a sudden loss of communication abilities. Speech Pathologists provide treatment to guide the person through the acquisition of these skills, to create better communication.
A Speech Pathologist is able to create better communication and increased quality of life in many situations -
- Advising a mother trying to feed her new baby with a cleft palate
- Creating better communication within a group of hard-to-understand students in a child care centre
- Working alongside a teenager who stutters
- Training a high school teacher to repair the damage to her voice and use it more effectively
- Guiding the rehabilitation of a young motorcycle accident victim who has suffered brain injury
- Providing the therapy to allow a stroke victim to regain the ability to swallow
- Creating communication strategies for a woman who has had her voicebox removed due to cancer, and advising her husband and family
All of these scenarios are just a snapshot of the many ways in which a speech pathologist can change lives by creating better communication, and better quality of life, for adults and children, families, and communities.
Who Will I Work With?
Speech Pathologists often function within a therapy team. Their role is to provide knowledge and strategies in regard to communication and swallowing difficulties. They also fill the vital role of advocating for the rights and best interests of their client, ensuring that the best possible management plans are in place.
The other professionals within this kind of therapy team can include audiologists, dieticians, doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, social workers and learning support teachers. Functioning in a team environment allows Speech Pathologists to be effective in creating better communication and better quality of life for their clients.
Where Will I Work?
Careers for speech pathologists can be based in educational institutions - ranging from kindergarten through to high school - as well as community health clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation units, and private practices. There are also the options to pursue academia, research or management. Speech Pathologists can also pursue opportunities to specialize and diversify throughout their career journey.
Is It a Good Career?
In Speech Pathology, you have the opportunity make a difference - to help people, and even change lives, through the creation of better communication and quality of life. You will also have the job satisfaction of a career which provides great variety and a vast range of opportunities.
The prospects for Speech Pathologists, both now and looking to the future, are excellent. A current nation-wide shortage of Speech Pathologists means that graduates from the University of Queensland’s Speech Pathology programs have one of the highest graduate employment rates.
How Much Will I Earn?
Salaries vary according to employers and work contexts. Two of the major employers in Queensland are Queensland Health and Education Queensland, and a new graduate in these departments could expect to earn between $46,000 and $53,000 in the first year of their career.
What Qualifications and Skills Do I Need?
There are a number of skills which are important to develop in order to pursue a career in speech pathology. Foremost among these is, of course, a high level of communication skills. In addition, critical thinking, problem solving, a love of learning, organizational skills, and teamwork are valuable professional attributes.
The personal qualities of a great Speech Pathologist include a people-focused personality, the capacity to inspire confidence, a cooperative nature, and a compassionate and tactful approach to the difficulties of others.
To become a registered Speech Pathologist you need to complete a degree course at a University. The University of Queensland is a leading educational institution in training and equipping students for the challenges of a career in Speech Pathology. They offer two courses specifically tailored for future Speech Pathologists. The first is a Bachelor of Speech Pathology, a four year degree. Entry requirements include Year 12 or equivalent English and one of Biological Science, Chemistry or Physics.
A second option is the University of Queensland’s Master of Speech Pathology Studies. This is a two-year, graduate entry award, designed for students with a previous degree in a field such a health, education, social, biological or physical sciences, or humanities.
Entry pre-requisites exists for both of these awards, and further details are available on the University of Queensland website.
Why Study at UQ?
UQ offers more than just the required knowledge base through coursework, but allows students to get real-work experience through clinical practicums. Graduates of this course are equipped with all the necessary knowledge and skills to register and commence employment immediately, without the need for any further training or specialization. UQ has Lecturers who are highly qualified academics with real-world experience.
Within this exciting program, students are guided through introductory studies in anatomy, linguistics, physiology, psychology and medical specialties. In the latter part of the program, students have the opportunity to tackle cases and problem-based scenarios, applying and integrating the understanding they have gained. They are also guided through the assessment and management of clients. Complementing all of this are supervised clinical placements in a variety of settings.
Both of the Speech Pathology programs offered at the University of Queensland are designed in a research-intensive environment, meaning that students are presented with cutting edge information. Additionally, both programs ensure that from the early stages of enrolment, students are released into real-world, clinical practicums, accredited for their standard of effectiveness in ensuring high-level learning and skills development.
Future Pathways
In addition to being well-equipped and confident to pursue a career in Speech Pathology, graduates of both of these programs have the opportunity to undertake further research studies at the University of Queensland, the national leader in enrolment for post-graduation research in the field of Speech Pathology.
Speech Pathology helps to create a better quality of life through better communication. The University of Queensland’s Speech Pathology programs are equipping students for a career of challenge, opportunity and significance.
